Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Yarn-Overs My Way

The next
sock in the series of “60” Socks contains a sweet and simple lace pattern. Lace
involves yarn-overs. And the lace pattern that is in this sock involves
yarn-overs that occur between a knit stitch and a purl stitch, and also between
a purl stitch and a knit stitch. So, I just want to share a bit of advice about
these maneuvers.

But before
that, I want to mention that in my standard knitting – for both the knit stitch
and the purl stitch – I work into the front leg of a stitch, and I wrap the
working yarn counter-clockwise around the tip of the right needle. If your
knitting maneuvers are different, you may have to “translate” my yarn-over
instructions to suit your method of knitting.

Here are
my general instructions for yarn-overs:

In all cases, the working yarn must start in the front of your knitting
and then it goes over the right hand needle from front to back. Then
the yarn goes to where ever it needs for the following stitch. So,

Between two knit stitches: bring the yarn from the back to the front between the two
needles, take the yarn over the right needle to the back of the knitting, then
knit the next stitch.

Between two purl stitches: the yarn is already in the front of the knitting, take the
yarn over the right needle to the back of the knitting, bring the yarn to the
front of the knitting between the two needles, then purl the next stitch.

Between a knit stitch and a purl
stitch: bring the yarn from the back to
the front between the two needles, take the yarn over the right needle to the
back of the knitting, bring the yarn to the front of the knitting between the
two needles, then purl the next stitch.

Between a purl stitch and a knit
stitch: the yarn is already in the front
of the knitting, take the yarn over the right needle to the back of the
knitting, then knit the next stitch.

I find
it interesting that a yarn-over performed between a knit stitch and a purl
stitch requires a lot of movement, while a yarn-over between a purl stitch and
a knit stitch requires next to no movement. I love something for nothing in my
knitting!